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Written question asked by Chris Elmore (Labour) on Thursday, 21 October 2021, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 25 October 2021. It was answered by Chris Philp (Conservative) on Friday, 29 October 2021 on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Social Media: Children and Young People

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with representatives of (a) Facebook and (b) Instagram on recent reports of the harmful impact of their products on children and young people; and if she will make a statement.

Answer

Protecting children is at the heart of our plans to transform the online experience for people in the UK, and the strongest protections in the Online Safety Bill will be for children. All companies in scope of the Online Safety Bill will need to seriously consider the risks they may pose to children and take action to mitigate these risks.

The recent reports about the impact of Facebook’s products on children and young people are highly pertinent to the forthcoming online safety legislation. The impact of harmful content and behaviour on young people’s mental health has been a key consideration during the development of legislation.

Ministers and officials have met with a wide range of stakeholders, including Facebook (representing various products including Instagram) several times as the legislation has been developed.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
60485
Session
2021-22
Subjects
Children Young people Facebook
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk